Standard cell design architecture for reduced voltage droop utilizing reduced contacted gate poly pitch and dual height cells

Abstract

A system and method for creating chip layout are described. In various implementations, a standard cell uses unidirectional tracks for power connections and signal routing. A single track of the metal one layer that uses a minimum width of the metal one layer is placed within a pitch of a single metal gate. The single track of the metal one layer provides a power supply reference voltage level or ground reference voltage level. This placement of the single track provides a metal one power post contacted gate pitch (CPP) of 1 CPP. To further reduce voltage droop, a standard cell uses dual height and half the width of a single height cell along with placing power posts with 1 CPP. The placement of the multiple power rails of the dual height cell allows alignment of the power rails with power rails of other standard cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An integrated circuit with one or more standard cells comprising:
 a plurality of transistors; 
 a plurality of unidirectional signal routes in each of a metal zero layer and a metal one layer; and 
 wherein at least one of the plurality of transistors includes a single track of the metal one layer within a pitch of a single metal gate, the single track of the metal one layer including a power post of the metal one layer connected to a first power rail of a metal two layer; and 
 wherein responsive to a potential being applied to an input node of a given standard cell of the one or more standard cells, a current is conveyed from the input node to an output node of the given standard cell through the single track of the metal one layer within the pitch of the single metal gate. 
 
     
     
       2. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the single track of the metal one layer uses a minimum width of the metal one layer; and 
 the pitch of the single metal gate uses a minimum width of the metal gate. 
 
     
     
       3. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of transistors includes a single track of the metal one layer with a power post of the metal one layer within the pitch of the single metal gate. 
     
     
       4. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metal zero layer provides for local interconnections adjacent to an active region. 
     
     
       5. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the first power rail in a first track of the metal two layer and a second power rail in a second track different from the first track of the metal two layer, each of the first power rail and the second power rail providing a first voltage reference to the given standard cell. 
     
     
       6. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the power post of the metal one layer in the single track of the metal one layer is:
 routed with a minimum length; and 
 connected to each of the first power rail and the second power rail of the metal two layer. 
 
     
     
       7. The integrated circuit as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a third power rail in a third track of the metal two layer and a fourth power rail in a fourth track of the metal two layer, each of the third power rail and the fourth power rail providing a second voltage reference to the given standard cell. 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 placing, in an integrated circuit comprising one or more standard cells, a plurality of transistors; 
 routing, in the integrated circuit, a plurality of unidirectional signal routes in each of a metal zero layer and a metal one layer; 
 placing, for at least one of the plurality of transistors, a single track of the metal one layer within a pitch of a single metal gate, the single track of the metal one layer including a power post of the metal one layer connected to a first power rail of a metal two layer; and 
 wherein responsive to a power supply voltage being applied to an input node of a given standard cell of the one or more standard cells, the integrated circuit is configured to convey a current from the input node to an output node of the given standard cell through the single track of the metal one layer. 
 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein:
 the single track of the metal one layer uses a minimum width of the metal one layer; and 
 the pitch of the single metal gate uses a minimum width of the metal gate. 
 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of transistors includes a single track of the metal one layer with a power post of the metal one layer within the pitch of the single metal gate. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the metal zero layer provides for local interconnections adjacent to an active region. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the integrated circuit further comprises the first power rail in a first track of the metal two layer and a second power rail in a second track different from the first track of the metal two layer, each of the first power rail and the second power rail providing a first voltage reference to the given standard cell. 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the power post of the metal one layer in the single track of the metal one layer is:
 routed with a minimum length; and 
 connected to each of the first power rail and the second power rail of the metal two layer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a third power rail in a third track of the metal two layer and a fourth power rail in a fourth track of the metal two layer, each of the third power rail and the fourth power rail providing a second voltage reference to the given standard cell. 
     
     
       15. A computing system comprising:
 a memory configured to store instructions of one or more tasks; 
 an integrated circuit, comprising one or more standard cells, configured to execute the instructions, wherein the integrated circuit comprises:
 a plurality of transistors; 
 a plurality of unidirectional signal routes in each of a metal zero layer and a metal one layer; and 
 wherein at least one of the plurality of transistors includes a single track of the metal one layer within a pitch of a single metal gate, the single track of the metal one layer including a power post of the metal one layer connected to a first power rail of a metal two layer; and 
 wherein responsive to a potential being applied to an input node of a given standard cell of the one or more standard cells, a current is conveyed from the input node to an output node of the given standard cell through the single track of the metal one layer within the pitch of the single metal gate. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The computing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein:
 the single track of the metal one layer uses a minimum width of the metal one layer; and 
 the pitch of the single metal gate uses a minimum width of the metal gate. 
 
     
     
       17. The computing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of transistors includes a single track of the metal one layer with a power post of the metal one layer within the pitch of the single metal gate. 
     
     
       18. The computing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the the metal zero layer provides for local interconnections adjacent to an active region. 
     
     
       19. The computing system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the power post of the metal one layer in the single track of the metal one layer is:
 routed with a minimum length; and 
 connected to each of the first power rail and a second power rail of the metal two layer. 
 
     
     
       20. The computing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the integrated circuit further comprises the first power rail in a first track of the metal two layer and a second power rail in a second track different from the first track of the metal two layer, each of the first power rail and the second power rail providing a first voltage reference to the given standard cell.